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The Information Dividend:Can IT make you ‘happier’?
May 2010
Prepared for BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT,by Trajectory Partnership
 
Can IT make you ‘happier’?
Contents
1. Introduction
3
2. Background
4
3. Executive summary
5
3.1 
TheInformationDividend:ITmaymakeyouhappier5
3.2 
TheInformationDividend:Mostimpactfulonthemostdisadvantaged5
3.3 
TheInformationDividend:Womenbenetmost?5
4. Commentary
6
4.1 
IT,lifesatisfactionandfreedom7
4.2
ITandotherfactorsinuencinglifesatisfaction8
5. What does this mean for IT?
9
6. What's next?
10
7. Technical appendix
11
BCS
MAY2010
2
 
Can IT make you ‘happier’?
Introduction
BCS,TheCharteredInstituteforIT,isworkingtoenabletheinformationsociety.Animportantelementofthisishelpingpeopleunderstandhowtheirlivescanbeimprovedby:•Abetterunderstandingofinformationandinformationtechnology•Improvedaccesstoinformationandinformationtechnology•BetteruseofinformationandinformationtechnologyOnewaytheInstitutedoesthisisbycreatingand/orcontributingtopublicdebatesonmajorissuesofsocial,economicorpoliticalconsequenceandinterest.Withourlatestreport,‘TheInformationDividend:CanITmakeyouhappier?’,theInstitute’sgoalistostimulatedebateaboutthesocialcontributionofinformationandITtothe‘happiness’ofnationsandindividuals.TheInstitute’sviewisthatthesocialandpersonalbenetsofinformationandIToutweighthenegativesforthemajority.Informationtechnologyandinformationmayevenmakeushappieronbalance,asthisstudysuggestsbutwedonotpretendthattheyareinherentlybenecial.The‘InformationSociety’,asweseeit,shouldbeaplacewhereITisusedtoimprovelifesatisfactionandsupportourindividualandcollectivegoals,nottoerodeorunderminethem.ServingthatpurposeiswhatmakesITatruepublicprofession.Academics,policymakersandsocialscientistswanttoidentifywhatmakespeople‘happy’andapplythoseinsightstosocialandeconomicpolicy.Therelationshipbetweeninformation,ITandhappinesshasnottraditionallybeenwellinvestigated.Tracingtheseconnectionsisdifcultforlotsofreasons,asthisstudyshows.ButtheInstitutehopestheeffortisworthwhile,particularlygiventhewaysinwhichourlivesaretouchedbyinformationtechnology.Iftheunderstandingofthatrelationshipcanbeimprovedinawaythatleadstonewandimprovedthinking,strategiesorsolutionsthenwewillhavehelpedalittle.ElizabethSparrow,President,BCS,TheCharteredInstituteforIT
I the understanding o that relationship canbe improved in a way that leads to new andimproved thinking, strategies or solutionsthen we will havehelped a little.
“ ” 
BCS
MAY2010
3
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